How to Train a German Shepherd to Sit – Dog Obedience Training

German shepherds are inherently smart dogs and can learn tricks and commands quickly. You can start training your puppy from litter age but the best time to teach is within 12 – 14 months of the dog’s age. The most basic training that owners want their dogs to have is following the command to sit. It is advised to start to train a german shepherd to sit early as it will make the trick quicker for the dog to learn.

Things to Keep in Mind Before You Train Your German Shepherd to Sit

German shepherds are known for their intelligence. You should be patient, positive and regular with the training of your puppy. Early training also tones down the alpha male behavior, as German shepherds have a tendency to control everyone. You can make your dog sit using treats and combination of hand and verbal commands. Keep the following things in mind while training your dog:

Train your dog for 3 to 4 times in a day in short duration

Vary the place of training as it will prevent the dog associating the surroundings with the trick

It is better to train a calm dog. Let your pup play or run around exhausting their energy before you find them in a calm state to concentrate.

Do not use too many treats or chocolates. You can cut a big treat or make small pieces.

Do not keep a big bag of treats in the open which may distract the dog. Hide a few in your pockets and take them out when required.

Use voice modulations with verbal commands for effective training. Using the command in a serious tone get the message to the dog that he is expected to obey something.

Use the command “Sit” and do not change the term.

How to Make a German Shepherd Sit?

It’s quite easy to make your dog listen to you if you have the patience you need. German Shepherds are known for their intelligence so it would be really easy to make your pet know what you want. In a matter of a few weeks, you would find your German Shepherd knowing just when you want it to sit.

Start with finding suitable treats. Dog biscuits or even a meal of bowl can be used. You can the dog tied or someone else holding the leash.

If you have time you should cook your own dog treats. In so many ways, cooking your own dog treats is a lot healthier than buying. You know exactly what kind of ingredients that you put into.

But sometimes, we are too busy to cook our own dog treats. In that case, you can buy ready-made dog treats. As a general rule, when you are looking to buy dog treats, you should always check the ingredients contained. If you are unsure about specific ingredients, open your browser and Google the ingredients.

How to Train a German Shepherd to Sit in 4 Steps

Now after you get the dog treats, it’s the time to train your dog to sit. These are the 4 steps to train your dog to sit.

Step 1 -Lure Him with His Favorite Treat

Take the treat in your hand and show it to the dog. Move your hand with the treat above his nose. Do not let him bite or eat it. Keep it just out of his reach and close enough to lure him.

Step 2 – Hand Gesture

Move your arm towards the head of the dog. Your pup will instinctively follow the direction of the treat and move or spin around. He should soon come to the sitting position naturally tracking the movement of the treat.

Step 3 – Ask Him to Sit

Give the verbal command of “sit” the moment your dog attains the sitting position or his back touches the floor. You can associate a hand signal as a command by raising it with the word “sit.” Your dog will learn more effectively with this combination of audio and visual command.

Step 4 – Reward Him

Offer him the treat with open hands or near his mouth when he sits. This will make the dog associate rewarding with the act of sitting. You can also give a pat or perform some act of affection without giving treats all the time. It prevents the pup from becoming treat dependent all the time.

Keep training your dog in the same way till he gets an idea about sitting. Then slowly eliminate the whole process and just say or signal to sit. You can also stop using the hand signal after some time and see if your dog obeys only voice command to sit.

After Training

Follow the same steps again from step 1 to step 4 for each training session. Give a break between 3 to 4 hours per each training session. If you have a job, you can train your dog 1 to 2 times in a workweek. One in a morning and another one after you come home from work.

Time required to Complete the Training

As discussed earlier, German shepherds are intelligent and can be trained in a short time. If you train your dog regularly according to the steps and the considerations in mind, it can take your dog just 3 to 5 days to obey the hand signal to sit.

Another 7 days and it can learn to sit only on voice commands. Also be patient and never punish or shout at your puppy. It can cause negative reactions and unwanted behavior from the dog. With a German Shepherd, your life would surely never be the same again. They are communicative, happy and full of life.